Magnified with Matt Cooper

Louis Walsh is one of the most prolific music moguls of the last 20 years, having managed pop groups such as Westlife, Boyzone and Girls Aloud.

Louis joined Matt to talk about growing up in Kiltimagh in Co. Mayo, his time as an X Factor judge, his relationship with Simon Cowell and his experience of living in the Big Brother House.

He also addressed the criticism he received after the release of the recent Boyzone documentary on Sky.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

On this week’s Magnified, Matt spoke to Yvonne Brewer, Country Manager for Ireland at Auticon. Auticon is an IT solutions company that prides itself on its inclusivity and which is now the largest majority-autistic company in the world.

In this week’s episode, Yvonne speaks candidly about the passion she has for her work, the importance of implementing inclusivity and diversity practices in the workplace, and her decision to change her career path after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Pat Farrell is Chief Executive of Irish Institutional Property, but has a CV that covers an extensive range of roles and industries. Among them include General Manager at Sligo General Hospital at just 24 years of age, Chief Executive at the Irish Banking Federation and General Secretary of Fianna Fáil between 1991 and 1997.

In this week’s Magnified, Matt speaks to Pat about his career and his influence on some pivotal moments in Ireland’s economic history, the country’s housing shortage and his decision to leave politics after working under Charles Haughey, Albert Reynolds and Bertie Ahern.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Therese Coveney is the co-founder and CEO of the Together Academy, an organization dedicated to creating employment opportunities for young adults with Down syndrome. Inspired by her daughter April, who has Down syndrome, Therese founded the Together Academy to challenge stereotypes and support individuals with intellectual disabilities in achieving their goals and living independent lives.

In this week's episode Therese chats to Matt about the genesis and philosphy of the academy and the real world impact it's having on its members and their parents.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Richard Shakespeare is the Chief Executive of Dublin City Council (DCC). He took over the role from Owen Keegan, who retired in September 2023. Richard has over 30 years of experience in local government, including roles as Assistant Chief Executive at DCC and Director of Municipal Services at Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

In this week's Magnified, Matt gives Richard the opportunity to discuss some of the major issues facing Dublin as a city such as litter, vacant buildings and transport and what his plans are to tackle them.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Daniel Davey is a well-known performance nutritionist and author based in Dublin, Ireland. He has worked with elite athletes, including the Dublin Senior football team and Leinster Rugby team. Daniel is the founder of Davey Nutrition, a platform offering practical nutrition advice, recipes, and personalized consultations.

He has authored best-selling books like "Eat Up, Raise Your Game" and "Eat Up, The Next Level," which focus on the connection between nutrition, mindset, and performance. Daniel's approach is rooted in his own experiences as an athlete, having played Gaelic football at an elite level.

He also discusses his experience of appearing on 'Room To Improve' and how he resonated with Dermot's approach.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Alan Kerins is a legendary Irish sportsman, humanitarian, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is renowned for his achievements in both hurling and football, having played for Galway at inter-county and at club level with Satlhill and Clarinbridge. Alan has the unique distinction of winning All-Ireland medals in both Gaelic games codes with his county and club teams.

Beyond his sports career, Alan is deeply involved in humanitarian work. He founded The Alan Kerins Projects in 2005, raising significant funds for various life-saving projects worldwide. He is also a leadership development specialist and peak performance coach, running retreats and performance development centers for senior executives and top managers.

In this week's Magnified, Alan discusses his remarkeable sporting career, what inspired him to pursue his humanitarian work and the impact his young son's illness had as a newborn.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

While we wait to resume the rest of this series of Magnified after the festive break we thought we'd give you the chance to listen back to a collection of some of Matt's favourite interviews so far. HAPPY NEW YEAR! from Magnified HQ.

Conor Niland, a former Irish professional tennis player, has written a captivating book titled "The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%." In this memoir, Niland shares his experiences as part of the 99% of players who travel the globe, hoping to climb the rankings and qualify for Grand Slam tournaments. The book provides insights into the social dynamics on tour, the economics of the game, and the challenges faced by touring pros whose earnings barely cover their expenses1 2. It's a unique look inside the fascinating hidden world of professional tennis and in this week's episode he joins Matt to discuss his fascinating book and career.

In the course of a twenty-year friendship, broadcasters, podcasters and best pals, Jenny Kelly and Mairead Ronan have experienced single life, career highs, break-ups, make-ups, marriages, divorce, motherhood, death, diets, hair styles, stress, ageing, lifestyle dilemmas, sadness and lots and lots of good times too. Of a middling age, and after years of talking (and cups of tea), they no longer sweat the small stuff.

Their new book What We Know Now! is full of their down-to-earth advice on the serious (and sometimes funny) business of life and they joined their old colleague Matt to discuss it all.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

While we wait to resume the rest of this series of Magnified after the festive break we thought we'd give you the chance to listen back to a collection of some of Matt's favourite interviews so far. Happy Christmas and a wonderful new year from Magnified HQ.

Eoghan Murphy, the former Fine Gael Housing Minister, has recently published a memoir titled "Running From Office: Confessions of Ambition and Failure in Politics". The book, provides an unflinching insight into his time in office, detailing the personal and political challenges he faced.

Murphy's memoir is described as brutally honest and sometimes harrowing, yet surprisingly funny, offering a deeply personal view of the life of a modern politician12. It covers his tenure as Ireland's Minister for Housing, a role marked by significant criticism and controversy

In this episode Eoghan joins Matt to discuss the book, his turbulent time in politics and the impact it's had on his life since.

Anthony Scaramucci is an American financier but he best known for the time he briefly served as the White House Director of Communications from July 21 to July 31, 2017 before being dismissed by President Donald Trump. Scaramucci has also been critical of Trump in the media and voiced support for Joe Biden in the 2020 and 2024 election and is a huge advocate for bitcoin. In this episode of Magnified Matt spoke to Anthony in front of a live audience about his short but eventful time in Trump's White House and why he is such cheerleader for crypto.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.

In the course of a twenty-year friendship, broadcasters, podcasters and best pals, Jenny Kelly and Mairead Ronan have experienced single life, career highs, break-ups, make-ups, marriages, divorce, motherhood, death, diets, hair styles, stress, ageing, lifestyle dilemmas, sadness and lots and lots of good times too. Of a middling age, and after years of talking (and cups of tea), they no longer sweat the small stuff.

Their new book What We Know Now! is full of their down-to-earth advice on the serious (and sometimes funny) business of life and they joined their old colleague Matt to discuss it all.

This series is brought to you by Close Brothers Motor Finance.